1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a move-away or drop-away arrow rest that pivots between a first position and a second position with respect to an archery bow and that also moves away from an arrow shaft and fletching when an arrow is launched or discharged from the archery bow. This invention also relates to an apparatus for holding an arrow with respect to the archery bow, particularly when the arrow is loaded on a bow string of the archery bow, in an unloaded or at rest condition.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Some conventional arrow rests move away, drop away, fall away or are otherwise forced away from an arrow shaft as an arrow is launched or discharged from the archery bow. It is known to use a return bias force to move the arrow rest away from the arrow when the arrow is discharged. In conventional arrow rests having the move-away or drop-away feature, flexible elastic members, such as rubber tubing, string, cords or the like have been used to overcome the return bias force and thus move the arrow rest from its biased position. Once the return bias force is overcome, the arrow rest moves into a second or loaded position, to support the arrow shaft prior to launching the arrow.
Conventional flexible members are in a tension condition when the bow string is drawn back, into the loaded position. As the bow string is drawn back, conventional flexible members stretch until they can stretch no further or until the return bias force of the arrow rest is overcome and the arrow rest moves into a loaded position. One problem with some conventional flexible members is that when the bow string is released, the length of the flexible member decreases for a certain relatively short time period, until the return bias force of the arrow rest can again overcome the tension force in the flexible elastic member and thus return the arrow rest to the unloaded position. However, even with the relatively short time period the arrow shaft is discharged before the conventional flexible elastic member allows the arrow rest to move sufficiently away from the loaded position. Thus, the arrow shaft and the fletching of an arrow move across the arrow rest before the arrow rest can drop away and provide the necessary clearance for the arrow shaft and the fletching to completely clear the arrow rest.
Some conventional flexible members have a flexible member with one end that attaches directly to a bow cable. If an end portion of a flexible member is attached to a downwardly acting tuning cable, such cable can travel as much as 4 to 5 inches as the archery bow is drawn or released. Because of such travel distance, the end portion of any connected flexible member must also travel such distance. Traveling such distance can also increase the time period that is required for the return bias force to overcome the tension force applied by the flexible member, when an arrow is discharged from the archery bow.
Other conventional arrow rests that drop away or move away from the loaded position, or are normally biased into an unloaded position, have a rigid member or linkage between the bow cable and the arrow rest. The rigid member overcomes the problems associated with the flexible elastic member. However, rigid linkages are difficult to finely tune or are relatively intricate.